Northern Ontario Town to Reconsider Approval of Pro-Life Monument

After approving a request by the Kapuskasing chapter of the Knights of Columbus to install a pro-life monument in a local park, the Kapuskasing town council has now decided to re-examine their decision at the next council meeting to be held on January 25, 2010.

Knights Council 2777 approached the town council with a request to install a monument in the park to promote awareness of the organization’s culture of life ideal.

Grand Knight Marcel Tourigny provided the council with a design drawing showing a baby cradled by two hands flanked by the phrase, “the only choice is life,” in French and English on either side of the image.

Mr. Tourigny told the Kapuskasing Northern Times that he would be surprised if there was confusion over the purpose of the monument. He said he told councilors that the Knights had contributed greatly to the community through their charity efforts, and that the statue was “not to boast about our involvement in the community,” but to promote awareness of the organization’s “culture of life ideal.”

The Northern Times reported that “it seems that at least one member of council did not know what it was they were voting for, and now Mayor Alan Spacek said council will re-examine its decision to okay the construction at its Jan. 25 meeting.”

“[We] will have to discuss this,” Mayor Spacek said. “I honestly thought [the monument] was to celebrate and recognize the work [the Knights of Columbus] do.”

Spacek also said the Knights’ pro-life stance is neither radical nor surprising given that they are a Catholic organization and that he hoped councilors “would vote with the best interests of the community in mind, not their personal opinions.”

The Kapuskasing Northern Times is conducting a poll, available here, which asks, “Kapuskasing town council is re-examining its decision to allow an anti-abortion statue to be erected in Riverside Park. Should public spaces be used to promote political opinions?”

A local pro-lifer commented, in reference to the poll, that, “We know that this is a question of humanity and protecting the most vulnerable of our society from a horrible death; not to impose religious views or condemn anyone. I believe the poll needs to be responded to before Monday, Dec. 21 at noon. The paper goes to print then. The results of the poll are published in Wednesday’s edition, Dec. 23.”
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